Author: Barkha Roy
Max Verstappen secured his third Formula One world championship in a thrilling comeback during the Qatar Grand Prix speed race. His Red Bull teammate and only title rival, Sergio Perez, saw his tournament aspirations crumble when he crashed in the speed race. To keep the title race alive, Perez needed to finish in the top three in the fast race, with the main Grand Prix scheduled for the following day. Unfortunately, his dreams were shattered when he collided with Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg on lap 11, leaving his Red Bull stuck in the gravel.
Max Verstappen takes the chequered flag for the 14th time this season 💪#F1 #QatarGP pic.twitter.com/5nCRK5Rjyf
– Formula 1 (@F1) October 8, 2023
With Pérez’s hopes in the competition dashed, Max Verstappen established an insurmountable lead of 184 points, securing his third consecutive world championship. Verstappen, who started the speed race in third place, finished second behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, cementing his status as a three-time Formula One champion.
When Max Verstappen crossed the finish line, Christian Horner, Red Bull team principal, broke the news over the radio, exclaiming: “Max, you’re a three-time world champion. It’s unbelievable. It’s been an incredible year for you“. In response, Verstappen, who has had an exceptional season, with 13 wins in 16 Grands Prix, including an astonishing 10 consecutive victories, expressed his gratitude, saying: “Yes, it’s unbelievable, guys. I don’t know what to say. Thank you for giving me such a car. It’s been a lot of fun this year“.
Drama from the get-go in Lusail 😵#F1 #QatarGP pic.twitter.com/1ZM9na9CIi
– Formula 1 (@F1) October 8, 2023
Verstappen’s achievement also marked him out as the second-youngest three-time world champion in Formula 1 history, second only to now-retired German Sebastian Vettel, who won his fourth championship with Red Bull at the age of 25 in 2012. In addition, Verstappen became the first driver to secure the title during a sprint event, breaking with the tradition of tournaments that are usually decided during Sunday races.
The last time an F1 championship was decided on a Saturday was in the 1980s, when three-time Brazilian champion Nelson Piquet achieved the feat.
Mayhem for Mercedes at the start 😵
Hamilton 💥 Russell#F1 #QatarGP pic.twitter.com/FJuzC6c2KE
– Formula 1 (@F1) October 8, 2023
Although Max Verstappen’s excellent performance has been a determining factor all season, Oscar Piastri’s victory in the speed race marked the end of Red Bull’s dominance in speed events this year. The Australian rookie celebrated his first Formula 1 victory, although the speed race didn’t count as a full Grand Prix in the record books.
Reflecting on his victory, Piastri commented: “When he (Verstappen) moved into second, I thought I’d have a bit of trouble, but the pace was good. A first Sprint win sounds pretty cool.“
Piastri’s McLaren team-mate Lando Norris took third place in the speed race, followed by Mercedes’ George Russell in fourth and Lewis Hamilton, who started 12th on the grid but managed to finish fifth due to incidents in front of him.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz took sixth place, while his teammate Charles Leclerc finished seventh, but was then penalized five seconds for exceeding the track limits, which dropped him out of the points. This altered the standings, moving Williams’ Alex Albon up to seventh and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso up to eighth.
The sprint race featured a variety of tire strategies, with those on medium tires gaining the upper hand as the race progressed. Piastri, who started on medium tires, managed to regain the lead from Russell, who was on soft tires, on the 11th lap. Throughout the race, the safety car made several appearances, initially triggered when AlphaTauri’s Liam Lawson went off the track at turn 2 and got stuck in the gravel. Two more safety car periods followed, caused by incidents involving Logan Sargeant’s Williams and Sergio Perez’s accident.